BAKU RULES OUT TALKS WITH KARABAKH.

Azerbaijani president Haidar Aliev’s foreign policy adviser, Vafa Guluzade, yesterday rejected Armenia’s proposal for direct Baku-Karabakh negotiations to settle the conflict. Baku can only accept an "intra-Azerbaijani dialogue" after Karabakh officially renounces its goal of independence and accepts autonomy within Azerbaijan, Guluzade stated, referring to the OSCE’s Lisbon summit decision last December. (Interfax, March 6) The Karabakh Armenian side and the Karabakh Azeri community meanwhile, participate as "interested parties" in OSCE-mediated multilateral negotiations.

Tajik State Security Officers Caught Carrying Load of Drugs.